Juneteenth National Independence Day is a holiday commemorating the arrival of 2,000 Union troops to Galveston Bay, TX, declaring on June 19, 1865 that enslaved people were free. News of the executive decree ending slavery came to Texas—the last Confederate state reached by the Union army—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”

In honor of Juneteenth, the NPQ team is sharing a collection of stories we’ve published on freedom. Not only for African Americans, but for all people, freedom is still elusive. Although the journey to freedom continues, we maintain strength and resilience by celebrating and finding joy along the way. From teaching emancipatory education to decolonizing philanthropy, enacting reparative economic policy, and cooking up recipes of liberation, the articles in this collection light the way toward freedom for all.

Whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, or just Juneteenth, it’s a reminder to celebrate both the idea and the experience of freedom.